Seatow taking donations to help local Coast Guard members affected by government shutdown

The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that will go without pay until the government reopens.

Friday, January 11th 2019, 11:26 PM EST by Alex Howard

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - Twenty-one days since a partial shutdown took effect for the Federal government, the lack of pay is starting to affect an exclusive group of military members here in Southwest Florida.

The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that will go without pay until the government reopens.

Now the community is stepping up to make sure that those servicemen and women get what they need.

Seatow in Cape Coral is currently collecting donations for members of the Coast Guard.

They are accepting all kinds of contributions, such as non-perishable food items, but things like diapers, baby wipes and formula are needed most.

“Seatow as a company, both locally and internationally, have a lot of veterans that are involved. Myself included, we have a lot of other captains that are actually retired from the Coast Guard, so it hits close to home for all of us," Captain Tom Carter of Seatow said.

Donations are being collected from the Seatow Headquarters on Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral. If you are interested in donating, you can stop by anytime from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Donations gathered will be brought to the Coast Guard station on Fort Myers Beach this Tuesday.